The Safari argument is a bit of sidestep--I'm pretty sure we're at the point that most people realize the web is unregulated and anyone can set up shop there. You don't hear people blame Microsoft if their kid finds a porn site using IE, and if someone did, they'd be ridiculed without mercy. But by requiring all apps to be approved by the App Store, Apple gives tacit endorsement to what's available. They should treat the iPhone and iTouch like a VCR: if your kid watches a dirty movie on your Sony VCR, do you blame Sony? Of course not.

Apple should wash their hands of any responsibility for third-party content available for their devices, then they could a) get out of the wasteful business of bureaucratic regulation, b) save PR and legal costs by having to defend everything available on their devices, and c) stop alienating grown-up customers who don't like big corporations micromanaging their entertainment. But I'm sure they find the revenue stream from licensing third-party apps hard to give up.

I'm all for adult videogames, and i think it's a shame that they're stifled by publishers and console developers. What I find much more troubling is that Apple thinks it has legal power over the software its customers install. Imagine if Apple sold a Mac that would only run Apple-approved software. Didn't Microsoft face an anti-trust suit over this?

We're already at the point where a manufacturer is producing an entirely new console just so they can release adult games on it. How far are publishers and hardware manufacturers going to take this? they're throwing away a potentially lucrative revenue stream while stifling the freedom of expression gaming so desperately needs.

In response to "An Arcade in Your Pocket" from The Escapist Forum: The question I'd like to ask is, "what makes the iPhone a better choice than any other phone for porting arcade games over, and what makes it a desirable choice at all?" Apart from the recent domination of the iPhone in the smartphone market, which I believe says more about the advertising of Apple than the quality of the phone, many of the distinctive features of the iPhone could actually be considered disadvantages of the platform.

The touch screen, which is a capacitative design and not backed up by any buttons, is a distinctive feature of the iPhone platform which works against it when it comes to game design. Without the tactile feedback that a button can provide, or even any haptic feedback to compensate, playing games on the iPhone can soon become awkward and frustrating. The language which the iPhone uses, Objective-C, which dates back to Steve Jobs' time at NeXTSTEP, is execrable. The App Store is restrictive, and the battery life is weak even among some other touch-screen smartphones, despite improvements made in the 3GS model.

At this point, it might be worth considering why developers put up with the platform at all, when it has such visible flaws. It boils down to customers, as it always does. The consumer doesn't typically concern himself with the difficulties of the developer, and only sees the end-result. It's why the PlayStation 2 managed to have such success, despite having an esoteric hardware layout.

My thoughts on the matter? It may be popular, but that sure doesn't make it a good phone.